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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550359">What if... Naoto's Shadow... WASN'T Written in a Transphobic Way?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixxyofice/pseuds/Pixxyofice'>Pixxyofice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Rewrite, Gen, Persona 4 Protagonist is named Souji Seta, i sprinkle in a hint of kannao but its only really there if you squint!, i'm nonbinary and full of spite, lemme know if i need more tags folks!, sure i use she/her pronouns for naoto but. she ain't cis.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:54:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixxyofice/pseuds/Pixxyofice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Altus SAYS what they were going for in Naoto's character was that there was no positive female role models for her to follow after in her chosen field of detective work, which led to her closing herself away and pushing towards the image of Detective Prince in a field dominated by men. Sure, they say that.</p><p>But, ah... that's sort of not how they wrote a Few Important Things. Like, you know. the shadow.</p><p>So i rewrote it. to make it focused on the thing Atlus said they were going for. Please enjoy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What if... Naoto's Shadow... WASN'T Written in a Transphobic Way?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>"i'm sorry atlus, but i'm trans and more powerful than you'll ever be, so don't try anything" - cap, 2020</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Like all of the secret base's rooms before it, the control room was metallic. Metal beams extended into the ceiling, the walls were covered in panels, and the floor was entirely metal. At the very end of the room was a giant computer, the lights of the screens covering the room in a fake glow.</p><p>In the center of the room was an iron table on a lifted part of the metal floor. In front of the table were two figures, almost identical in structure. </p><p>One figure was wearing a light blue shirt with a yellow tie, standing with one hand resting on the hip and one foot tapping impatiently. The other figure was huddled on the floor, head buried in knees, wearing a lab coat that was too big. Both wore the same blue hat that the group recognized as Naoto Shirogane's hat.</p><p>The Naoto that was standing glanced over to the sound of the door opening, and a slight smirk found its way on his face before it disappeared. "Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you all would show up." He tilted his head slightly, blue eyes wandering over the group. "And, indeed, you all came to rescue me. Thank you for that. I was tired of dealing with this..." Naoto's eyes drifted to the Naoto that was huddled on the ground in a lab coat, "petulant child."</p><p>Naoto started to walk towards the group. "Shall we be going?"</p><p>Naoto took another step towards the door, and the Naoto in the labcoat jolted up. His eyes were a glowing gold, though they seemed to be filling with tears. "Wait! Don't go! Please don't leave me here!" He cried, reaching out a hand that was covered by the sleeve of his labcoat. His voice sounded lighter than the normal Naoto's voice. "I promise I can still be useful! Just please don't leave me!"</p><p>Naoto's steps stalled. He turned to face Shadow Naoto, lips curling in a frown. "... You've given me much to think about," He said, voice careful, "but I think you've given me enough. I shall be leaving with these trusted people now."</p><p>Shadow Naoto stilled. His eyes cleared, and his outstretched arm dropped to his side. His other arm rested on his leg, hand curling around the pant leg. "... that's what they all say."</p><p>Naoto had been walking back towards the group when Shadow Naoto's voice hit the air. Again he turned towards the other Naoto, but this time he stepped closer. "Excuse me?" His voice shook.</p><p>The other Naoto smiled, golden eyes gleaming. "That's what they all say to you, and now you're saying it to me." He chuckled, a laugh that made Chie grip tighter onto Yukiko's arm. "Isn't that rather hypocritical? You remember how that made you feel." Shadow Naoto's grip on his pant leg tightened. "Shouldn't you be better than that?"</p><p>Naoto's shoulders lifted slightly, tightening closer to his neck. "... I don't know what you're talking about."</p><p>"You SHOULD!"</p><p>Shadow Naoto jumped to his feet, and his labcoat billowed out behind him in a wind nobody could see. His smile had faded away with his shout, eyebrows pressing down and eyes narrowed. His voice was higher in pitch, though trembling in anger. "You remember every single instance where the police disrespected you! You remember how they made you feel, days later, when you're packing up to head elsewhere!" He swiped an labcoat-covered arm in the air, a hiss escaping his throat. "And it repeats! Every single god damn time!"</p><p>Naoto clenched his fists by his side. "H-How would you—"</p><p>Shadow Naoto continued, brushing over the words Naoto attempted to speak. "You give so much to your detective work, you work so hard to gain even a scrap of respect! But as soon as you've given them what they need, they drop you!" Shadow Naoto tapped the band of his cap. "They only use you for your brain! Nothing else matters! As soon as you've given them that, you're dropped and you move onto the next case!"</p><p>"St-Stop!" Naoto's voice grew a few pitches higher, and he bolted towards Shadow Naoto.</p><p>Shadow Naoto dodged to the side, letting out a huff of amusement before continuing, "They say things like 'you're a brilliant young man', or 'you have an excellent work ethic', or even 'you'll grow into an excellent detective'! But they push you away all the same!" </p><p>Shadow Naoto looked to Naoto, who was growing more rigid by the second, trying to form words but being unable to. </p><p>Shadow Naoto smiled, letting his arms rest by his side. He even mirrored the hand on the hip that Naoto was doing earlier. "And that's how they react when you're just a teenage <em> boy </em> , a <em> prodigy </em> for his age, the <em> Detective Prince </em> , highly regarded!" Shadow Naoto tilted his head again, golden eyes piercing into Naoto's, and he chuckled. No, Shadow Naoto <em>laughed</em>, loud and maniacal. </p><p>The laughter echoed in the room, which made Naoto's shoulders hike up more. "Stop it right now!" He blurted out, again in the higher pitch, and grabbed for Shadow Naoto's mouth again. </p><p>Shadow Naoto stepped backward, grabbing Naoto's arm. His laughter cut off, and a piercing golden glare stared into Naoto's blue eyes. "If that's how they treat you now... how will they treat you when you grow up to be a woman detective, and not the perfect, manly detective they were so looking forward to?"</p><p>Naoto froze, arm slack in Shadow Naoto's grip.</p><p>"Woman?!" Yosuke shouted, and Rise slapped him, but the damage was done.</p><p>"Heh." Shadow Naoto shook her head, lowering her arm but not loosening her grip. "You hear that? Shock. Disbelief." She smirked. "And they're the only peers you would've considered friends."</p><p>Whatever words Naoto was forming died on her tongue, frozen body tensing more. "Wh... what?"</p><p>"Friends?" Yukiko echoed, confusion reflecting in her face.</p><p>Shadow Naoto chuckled again. "Ah, but I've <em> ruined </em> that, haven't I? I revealed but a <em> tiny </em> bit of what makes you a poor detective, and they're shocked." Shadow Naoto pulled Naoto towards the iron table, and Naoto, unprepared, stumbled after her. "You're emotional. You're a girl. You consider people outside of the police and detective world your friends." Shadow Naoto scowled, and her golden eyes gleamed. "Your body is too small, your face is too soft. You're likely to continue developing that way."</p><p>Shadow Naoto let go of Naoto's arm, and she snapped a finger.</p><p>The panels on the walls flipped over, revealing mechanical arms. The mechanical arms stretched out from the wall, and every arm had a different bit on the end— a saw, a circular saw, a laser gun...</p><p>Naoto attempted to run. Arms snapped to her sides, pulling her back towards the iron table. She struggled against the restraints.</p><p>The group yelled and attempted to jump after her, but the laser gun shot at them, and they had to scramble out of the way.</p><p>"That's why I'm here." Shadow Naoto said, her smile growing more devious. "I'll make you the perfect detective. No longer will you be the failure of a detective you are!"</p><p>"Naoto-kun's a great detective!" Rise shouted, from where she had dived to dodge the laser gun's shots. Her Persona shimmered around her, visor fitted around her eyes. "She isn't—"</p><p>Shadow Naoto huffed, putting both hands on her hips. "That's what you idiots would think, huh?"</p><p>Naoto winced from where she was strapped onto the table. Rise stopped, blinking towards the center of the room.</p><p>"Ah, still caring about their liking towards you, hmm? Tsk tsk." Shadow Naoto walked around the table, procuring a clipboard from within her jacket. "We'll fix that, along with everything else in the way of being the perfect detective. Let's go over the procedure list, shall we?"</p><p>"I don't—"</p><p>"Ah, but you do." Shadow Naoto shook her head, smiling. "Let's start with the physical modifications. First, your chest. A perfect detective does not have a chest, your chest will go. The tissue can be used for the other modifications." Shadow Naoto slid a pen out of her lab coat, pulling her sleeve down. She tapped the clipboard with the pen a few times. "Next, your face. Too small, too childish, too round. We're cutting off the excess. Your skull may also need some adjustments, as well."</p><p>Yukiko summoned Konohana-Sakuya. The laser guns were joined by more laser guns, and the team dived for cover again. Yosuke swore into the air.</p><p>Shadow Naoto glanced behind her at the scorch marks on the ground and walls, then returned her attention to Naoto. "Most of the excess tissue will be used to make extra muscle. We may need to remake most of your limbs from scratch, but that's no big deal here in the lab."</p><p>"Why are you doing this?" Naoto asked, trying to keep her voice low, but panic slipping through into it anyway.</p><p>Shadow Naoto sighed, tapping her clipboard again. "Ah, of course. Almost forgot about everything we'll have to take out of that skull of yours. All that matters is your intelligence, after all. So..." Shadow Naoto hummed as she looked at Naoto again, who was trying to force down the panic on her face. Shadow Naoto looked back to the clipboard. "The emotions first. All a detective cares about is the end result of a case, the evidence laid out in front of them. Detectives shouldn't concern themselves with getting to know everyone behind a case, or anything about the town they're in for investigating a case. Only what is needed."</p><p>"Are you crazy?!" Chie shouted, but the laser guns pointed their sights on her, and she dove back behind the wall she had crouched behind.</p><p>"Of course, regular people wouldn't understand that." Shadow Naoto sighed, shaking her head while flipping a page on her clipboard. "We are talking detectives here. Moving on from them..."</p><p>Shadow Naoto looked up. Naoto was looking where Chie once was, a guilty look crossing her face. </p><p>Shadow Naoto scowled. "Yet <em>another</em> thing, hm? Detectives do <em>not</em> have <em>friends!"</em> She stomped her foot, hands tightening on the clipboard and pen. "Detectives only have <em>sidekicks,</em> those much less smart! Detectives do not <em>long</em> for <em>friendship!"</em></p><p>"Friendship is a natural human want!" Souji shouted, blocking one laser gun's shot. Another one caught his knee, though, and he yelped. He stumbled backwards, letting the laser shots hit where he once was. </p><p>"Natural human, yes." Shadow Naoto said, tapping her clipboard again, stoic once more. "We are talking the <em> perfect </em>detective, however. That must go."</p><p>"<em> Why </em> are you doing this?" Naoto begged, eyes back on Shadow Naoto. </p><p>Shadow Naoto glanced up from the clipboard again, her eyebrow raised. After a second, Shadow Naoto smirked. "Why? These are merely the steps to get you to be just like those detectives you see in your novels." Shadow Naoto tilted her head, smirk increasing. "I know what's best for you. After all, I am you."</p><p>"Shit!" Yosuke swore, once again. "Naoto-kun, don't—"</p><p>"Let Naoto handle her own shadow!" Kanji yelled, summoning his Persona to block the laser shots that headed Yosuke's way. He winced at the impact, but kept his persona guarding Yosuke. "We had t' do the same, yeah? We all had t' figure out our own problems, and now she's figurin' out hers!"</p><p>Yosuke frowned, but stepped back behind cover. Kanji pulled his Persona back to him, but kept it summoned.</p><p>"Me?" Naoto let out a broken laugh. "That's absurd. You-You can't be me. You—" Naoto's voice broke a bit more, and her next words were quiet. "You aren't me."</p><p>Shadow Naoto's grin grew, and she started to laugh again. The clipboard and pen dropped from her hands, and Naoto jolted as much as she could at the sound of them clattering against the metal floor. As Shadow Naoto's maniacal laughter continued, it seemed to distort. The ground at Shadow Naoto's feet turned a misty purple.</p><p>"Guys!" Rise shouted, hand against her Persona's visor. "The laser guns on the wall are retreating!"</p><p>The sound of glass shattering echoed the room, and everyone's Personas tore out, energy vibrating around them.</p><p>Shadow Naoto was enveloped in the purple mist, and when she emerged, she was flying directly at the team with her new robotic form.</p><p>"Get ready for a fight!" Souji shouted. "Try to get Naoto off the operating table!"</p><p>There was a chorus of agreements, and Izanagi struck the first blow against Shadow Naoto's robotic skin.</p><hr/><p>Kanji placed Naoto on the ground, keeping one hand steady around her shoulders while the others peeled themselves away from the dented walls they found themselves in. </p><p>The mass of purple mist dropped to the ground, consolidating into the form of the regular Shadow Naoto. Shadow Naoto leaned against the iron table, holding her side. Her labcoat no longer flowed in an invisible breeze.</p><p>"You okay?" Kanji asked Naoto, hand trembling on her shoulder.</p><p>Naoto glanced up to him, a smile lifting on her face. "...I will be okay, I think. Thank you."</p><p>Kanji lifted his hand from her shoulder, but kept his arm somewhat close. Naoto nodded at him before returning her eyes to her shadow.</p><p>Her shadow locked eyes with her.</p><p>The other members of the team held their sides, watching the center of the room with bated breath.</p><p>Naoto broke the silence first.</p><p>"I've been... focused a bit too much on being the perfect detective." Naoto admitted, pressing a hand to the brim of her cap. "I kept wondering if I would ever live up to my parents, kept wondering if I could ever fill into their footsteps, if I could ever truly be greater than they were..." Naoto lowered the brim a bit. "I wonder if that spiraled into wanting to fit into the image of a perfect detective. If I was perfect, I wouldn't have to worry about the police doubting my deductions, my skills... me."</p><p>Shadow Naoto nodded. She did not speak a word.</p><p>Naoto smiled a bit at her shadow. "Whenever I read into my detective novels, the detectives I found myself most relating to were the men. The rugged ones. The ones everyone respected. And when I tried to look back at myself with them as my mindset..." Naoto's smile faded, and she lowered the brim of the cap over her eyes. "... I didn't see any of them in myself. I was everything they weren't."</p><p>"But that doesn't matter!" Rise shouted, and Naoto's eyes darted over to where she was, her eyes widening in surprise. </p><p>Dust brushed up on Rise's dress, and a burn mark seared itself into the upper shoulder. "Even if you don't fit those super tough detectives— so what? You're smart, you're wonderful, you're <em> you </em>! That's what matters!"</p><p>Naoto's surprised face faded back into a tired smile. "... That's right. If my mother made it in the field... why couldn't I? I'm certainly..." Naoto trailed off, then shook her head and looked back to her shadow. "I'm certainly stubborn enough to continue past any hardship, no matter how much it may tear at me. Isn't that right?"</p><p>Shadow Naoto nodded, a slight smile on her face.</p><p>"And even as I struggle..." Naoto walked forward, and her shadow continued watching. Naoto's breathing was labored, but she continued, "... struggle with my emotions, or with friends... having those makes me a more complete person. And being a complete person... is better than suffering alone, broken, because I refused to let go of being the perfect detective I thought I wanted to be."</p><p>Shadow Naoto nodded, smile wider. Unlike before, this smile was soft. Her golden eyes glowed.</p><p>"...I am you, and you are me. And... that's okay."</p><p>Shadow Naoto started to glow.</p><p>Naoto glanced up as Shadow Naoto's form morphed and changed. Floating in the air, surrounded by a blue light, was Sukona-Hikona, holding a lightsaber sword in hand, still smiling down at Naoto.</p><p>Sukuna-Hikona faded, and Naoto glowed the same blue energy. Naoto pressed a hand against her heart, smiling. "So... this is a Persona, huh..."</p><p>Naoto tilted forward.</p><p>
  <em>" CRAP— "</em>
</p><p>"KANJI, <em> GRAB HER! "</em></p><p>
  <em>" NAOTO— "</em>
</p><p>The world went black.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>naoto deserved better!!! naoto deserved better!!!!!!!!! smh!!! atlus better be paying me for writing everything better than they are!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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